Safety-pin.



Patented DecQS, I91". 8. G. MCCLAIN.

SAFETY PIN, (Application filed In. 30, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

SALLIE G. MCCLAIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,109, dated December3, 1901. Application filed March 30, 1901. Serial No. 53,611. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SALLIE G. MCCLAIN, a citizen of the United States,residing atPhiladelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSafety-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

7 My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in safety-pins,and .has for its object to provide a safety-pin in which the pointedmember of the pin proper is formed with an inward curve, so that it willpresent greater resistance to any strain putupon the same when in use.

A further object of my invention is to form the end of the pin uponwhich the sheath is fastened in such a manner that it will be simple inconstruction and yet strong and durable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a covering for thespring-coil which will prevent the fabric from becoming entangledtherewith.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the pin closed. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the covering for the coil in its blankform.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the shank ofthe pin; B, the usual spring-coil; C, the pointed member or pin proper,the point of which is adapted to be held when the pin is closed by thesheath D. The shank A at this sheath end of the pin is coiled uponitself, as represented at A so as to describe nearly a circle, the end Ameeting and lying in contact with the shank A. The sheath D is formedaround this coil formed in the end of the shank A and incloses the wire,except at the end which receives the point of the pin. This portion ismade wider,

so that when the point of the pin passes up either side of that portionof the coil A which is directly under this widened portion of the sheaththe pin'will be received therein and held against displacement. Thepoint of the pin when it is within the sheath will be out of contactwith the coil A and lie in front of the same by reason of the curvatureof the said coil; but when the pin is pressed downward to disengage thesame from the sheath it will first come in contact with the roundedsurface of the coil, and it will select its own passage either one sideor the other of the downwardly-extending portion of the coil.

The pin proper, O, I form with a curve bent inward toward the shank A,as the strain upon a safety-pin is generally outward. This curvature inthe pin 0 is for the purpose of offering greater resistance to any suchstrain, for the pin would have to be bent outward so that-it would be ina straight line from the spring-coil B to the sheath before it would bebent in a curve outward, so that the point of the pin would be drawnfrom the sheath. It is obvious that it will take a greater strain tobend the pinoutward to a straight line than it would to curve the pinoutward if it were originally made straight. Of course the curvature ofthe pin could be more or less than that shown in the drawings withoutaffecting the spirit of the invention at this particular point. For theprotection of the spring-coil B, I provide a covering E, which in itsblank form will be of the shape shown in Fig. at. This will be bentaround the coil, and the end E passing between the pin C and the shank Awill lap over the end E and this covering will be pressed into the coilB, so as to form a depression upon each side thereof and hold the samesecurely in place. This covering E will prevent the coil 13 at everypoint from catching in the fabric through which the pin is inserted.

The advantages of my invention are that by bending the wire at thesheath end of the pin so that it will coil back upon itself and then incovering said coil with a covering of thin metal, one end of which actsas the sheath for the point of the pin, I cause a portion of the coil Ato act as a divider, so that the point of the pin can be inserted in thesheath from either side, and by using this coil A as a divider itpresents a rounding surface for the point of the pin to come in contactwith when the said pin is depressed for the purpose of removing it fromthe sheath. Thus a much simpler construction is employed, which willreduce the cost of manufacture and also will overcome the disadvantageof dividers which terminate within the sheath. Such dividers sometimespresent a surface to the point of the pin in its downward travel uponwhich the same can lodge, and thus dull said point and retard theoperation of the same.

Another ad vantage of my invention is that by forming the pin 0 with aninwardly-bent curve I cause the same to withstand a greater strain, sothat it is less liable to be bent outward, so as to withdraw the pointof the pin from the sheath.

A further advantage of my invention is in entirely covering thespring-coil B and thus preventing danger of fabric being caught in saidcoil and damaged.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and usefulis- 1. As a new article of mannfacture,a safetypin composed of a bodyportion and a pin proper, one end of the body portion being coiled uponitself, a sheath arranged above this coiled portion, a spring-coilconnecting the pin proper with the body portion, a coveringrforsaid coiladapted to inclose the same,

a curvature formed in the pin proper, said curvature extending from thespring-coil to a point near the point of the pin, and said curvaturebeing curved inward toward the body portion of the pin, the pin-pointwhen lying within the sheath adapted to be out of contact with the coilformed with the body portion, but when pressed downward adapted to passupon either side of the coil, substantially as described and for thepurpose specified.

2. In combination in a safety-pin of the character described, aspring-coil connecting the pin-point with the body of the pin, a cov-.

ering for said spring-coil consisting of an elongated stripof metalwhich is Wrapped entirely around the coil and passing between the springmember and the body portion so as to protect the coil upon both sides,said covering after being wrapped around the coil indented into thecenter of the coil upon both sides for the purpose of holding thecovering in place, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto atfixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SALLIE G. MCOLAIN.

Witnesses:

lVIARY E. I-IAMER, L. W. MORRISON.-

